(a) Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that someone asked Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): How was the recitation of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said that he used to prolong (the sounds). Then he recited 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1], prolonging 'al-Rahman' and also prolonging 'al-Rahim'.
(b) Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it in his Sahih from Amr bin Asim, who narrates it from Hammam, except that in it he prolonged 'Bismillah', then prolonged 'al-Rahman' and also prolonged 'al-Rahim'.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2392
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«صحيح۔ بدون ذكر البسملة، اخرجه البخاري 5045»
Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked: How was the recitation of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said that he used to prolong (the sounds). Then he recited 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), prolonging 'Bismillah', and also prolonging 'al-Rahman' and 'al-Rahim'.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2393
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«صحيح۔ بدون ذكر البمسلة، تقدم في الذي قبله»
(a) It is narrated from Nu'aym al-Mujmir: I was praying behind Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). He (may Allah be pleased with him) recited 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1], then recited Surah al-Fatihah, and when he reached 'nor of those who are astray' [Surah al-Fatihah: 7] he said 'Amin', and the other people also said 'Amin'. Whenever he prostrated he said 'Allahu akbar' (Allah is the Greatest), and when he stood up from sitting he also said 'Allahu akbar'. When he concluded with the salam, he said: "By the One in whose Hand is my soul, I am the most similar of you all to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in prayer."
(b) In the narration of Ibn Abd al-Hakam, instead of the words 'I was behind Abu Hurayrah', the words are 'I prayed behind Abu Hurayrah'.
This is an authentic (sahih) chain, and it has supporting narrations (shawahid).
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2394
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the people in prayer, he would recite 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1].
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2395
(a) It is narrated through another chain that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited while leading the people in prayer, he would begin the recitation with 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1].
(b) Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It (Bismillah) is a verse of the Book of Allah; recite Surah al-Fatihah if you wish, for it (Bismillah) is its seventh verse.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2396
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] aloud in the prayer, but the people have abandoned it.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2397
It is narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to begin the recitation with 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1].
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2398
Sa'id bin Jubayr narrates from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) concerning 'al-Sab' al-Mathani' (the seven oft-repeated verses) that it refers to Surah al-Fatihah. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) recited it, counting 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] with it, as seven (verses).
Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I asked my father: Did Sa'id bin Jubayr tell you, on the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), that 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] is a verse of the Book of Allah? He replied: Yes! And Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) recited 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] in both rak'ahs.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2399
Sa'id bin Abd al-Rahman bin Abza narrates from his father (may Allah be pleased with him): I prayed behind Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and he recited 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] aloud.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2400
It is narrated from al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him): I saw Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and also prayed behind him. He (may Allah be pleased with him) used to recite 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] aloud.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2401
Nafi' narrates from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he used to begin Surah al-Fatihah with 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1].
This is the correct version, as mawquf (the practice of Ibn Umar himself).
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2402
Nafi' narrates from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) began the prayer, he would start it with "'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1]". In the narration of al-Zahid, instead of 'yabda'u' (he would start) the words are 'yaqra'u' (he would recite), and he added that when Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) began the prayer, he would recite 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) at the start of Surah al-Fatihah, and he would also recite Bismillah at the start of the surah he recited after al-Fatihah.
The correct version is that it is mawquf (the practice of Ibn Umar himself).
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2403
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:ضعيف
Hadith Takhrij«ضعيف۔ اخرجه الطبراني في الاوسط 1/257»
Nafi' (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he used to begin the recitation in the prayer with 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1].
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2404
Sa'id bin Jubayr narrates from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the recitation should be begun with 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful).
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2405
It is narrated from Bakr bin Abdullah that Sayyiduna Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to begin the recitation in the prayer with 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1], and he would say: The thing that prevents them from reciting it is arrogance.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2406
It is reported from al-Azraq bin Qays: I prayed behind Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both). He recited, and he recited 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] aloud.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2407
Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) informed Abu Bakr bin Hafs that Amir Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) led a prayer in Madinah in which he recited aloud. He recited 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) together with Surah al-Fatihah, but did not recite it with the surah after it until he had completed that recitation, and he did not say the takbir when bending down for ruku' and prostration, and he completed the prayer. When he concluded with the salam, those of the Muhajirun who were present began calling out to him from every side: O Mu'awiyah! Have you shortened the prayer, or have you forgotten? Then when he led the prayer after that (again), he also recited 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) with the surah after Surah al-Fatihah, and he also said the takbir when going down into prostration.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2408
This narration is also reported from Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him), except that in it he did not recite 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] with Surah al-Fatihah, nor did he recite 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] with the surah after it; then he mentioned the complete hadith.
And along with the word 'Muhajirun' he also added the word 'Ansar', and said that in every prayer he prayed after that, he recited 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1] with Surah al-Fatihah and with the surah after it, and he also said the takbir when going down into prostration.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2409
Isma'il bin Ubayd bin Rifa'ah narrates from his father that when Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Madinah, he led them in prayer, but he did not recite 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), nor did he say the takbir when going down and when rising. When he concluded with the salam, the Muhajirun and the Ansar called out to him: O Mu'awiyah! You have stolen from your prayer! Where is Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim? And where is the takbir when you go down and when you rise?
So he led them in prayer again, and in it he did the things for which they had faulted him.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2410
Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Reciting 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) is among the sunnahs of the prayer; one should recite Surah al-Fatihah, then recite 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) with the second surah as well.
Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) would sometimes recite a surah along with Surah al-Fatihah, and he would begin every surah with 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). He would say that the first man to recite 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) quietly in Madinah was Amr bin Sa'id bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was a bashful man.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2412
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«صحيح۔ اخرجه الذهبي في التاريخ الاسلام 8/ 236»
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Satan has stolen from the people of the Qur'an the greatest verse in the Qur'an: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' [Surah al-Fatihah: 1].
This narration is munqati' (its chain is broken).
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2413